Trudeau announces funding for new child care spaces during visit to southwestern Ont.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a number of federal ministers were in St. Thomas Monday to announce more than $200 million for child care spaces in Ontario.
The stop at the YMCA Station View Child Care Centre comes as the national child care program continues to face unexpected challenges.
A modest demonstration outside the centre included staff from the nearby St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank. Demonstrators were hoping to get a face-to-face with the prime minister to explain how some of their clients have to choose between paying for child care and buying groceries.
“A lot of working people are doing that now, they’re paying out hundreds of dollars even per day in daycare,” explained Sarah Coleman, food bank manager of operations.
“It’s overwhelming and it’s heartbreaking for both us,” added Karen McDade, food bank manager of administrations. “We’re out here and we were trying to say hello to our wonderful prime minister.”
They said a friendly wave from the PM was the most they received, with the child care centre surrounded by the prime minister’s security and local police.
Inside the centre Trudeau discussed several economic issues, including the future Volkswagen EV battery plant being built in the Railway City. But his main purpose was to talk about the Liberals’ national child care program, and connecting the new plant to how working families will need child care.
Trudeau was joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jenna Sudds, and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth Marcie Ien.
They were on hand to announce more than $201 million in funding to create child care spaces and support inclusive child care services in Ontario.
It’s part of a goal to create 86,000 new child care spaces by 2026.
Karen McDade and Sarah Coleman from the St. Thomas Elgin Food Bank demonstrate outside the prime minister’s visit to a child care centre in St. Thomas, Ont. on May 13, 2024. (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London)“I want to pause for a second to thank educators who work so hard every day, just like the ones I’m seeing here at the Station View YMCA Child Care Centre,” remarked Trudeau. “Your jobs are not easy and you’re there for our kids’ day in and day out. We want you to know that we’re here for you.”
The announcement comes as the federal government continues to promote its national child care program, with $10 per day child care at the forefront.
Some providers have said the program has left them with higher than expected operating costs, in addition to a shortage of early childhood educators, and long wait lists for spaces.
The federal Conservatives wasted no time in condemning Monday’s announcement, unloading a litany of statistics showing continued concern over child care availability and cost.
According to Sebastian Skamski, director of media relations for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, “the prime minister is holding yet another one of his photo ops while turning his back on Canadians.”
Citing Statistics Canada, the Conservative communique said, “out of families using child care, the percentage who reported difficulty finding that care rose significantly to 46.4 per cent in 2023 from 36.4 per cent in 2019.”
The federal ministers attending the announcement said it’s the Conservatives who are blocking families from attaining affordable child care by not supporting the federal budget.
“The Conservatives continue to oppose the good work that we are putting forward to support Canadian families,” said Sudds.
“Thanks to the government’s historic investment in child care more women are working more than ever,” added Ien.
Monday’s announcement is meant to target young families, especially millennial parents. It includes a child care expansion loan program, student loan forgiveness for rural and remote early learning educators, increasing training for early childhood educators, and improved access for military families.
“Affordable child care means more parents, especially moms, don’t have to choose between their family and their career,” said Trudeau.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Flash flooding in B.C. Interior affects at least 20 homes, emergency officials say
At least 20 homes have been affected by flash flooding in the British Columbia Interior following heavy rains that forced the overnight closure of the Trans-Canada Highway near Kamloops.
Fire at gas metering station sparks grass fire that shut Alberta highway
Yellowhead County in west-central Alberta says a fire that prompted the closure of a major highway west of Edmonton involved a gas metering station.
These ultraprocessed foods may shorten your life, study says
Eating higher levels of ultraprocessed food may shorten lifespans by more than 10 per cent, according to a new, unpublished study of over 500,000 people whom researchers followed for nearly three decades.
Eddie Murphy is still stung by that David Spade joke on 'Saturday Night Live'
Eddie Murphy is reflecting on some of the “cheap shots” he feels he’s taken over the years.
If you qualify for this tax credit, you can expect a payment in your bank account this week
The next quarterly GST/HST tax credit payment is expected to go out this week, according to the Canada Revenue Agency.
Judge calls Jeffrey Epstein 'most infamous pedophile in American history' as he releases transcripts
A Florida judge released Monday afternoon the transcripts of a 2006 grand jury investigation that looked into sex trafficking and rape allegations made against the late millionaire and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. Supreme Court rules Trump has immunity for official, not private acts
The U.S. Supreme Court found on Monday that Donald Trump cannot be prosecuted for any actions that were within his constitutional powers as president, but can for private acts, in a landmark ruling recognizing for the first time any form of presidential immunity from prosecution.
This 12-year-old memorized the periodic table at age two. He's heading to NYU after finishing high school in just two years
Recent high school graduate Suborno Isaac Bari, 12, plans to start studying math and physics at New York University in the fall, but he’s already got his ambitious sights set on beginning a doctoral program.
Possible indecent gesture at Euro 2024 game under investigation
England star Jude Bellingham is being investigated by UEFA over a potentially offensive gesture made during a European Championship win against Slovakia.